Peanut Butter Truffles or Buckeyes with No Measuring Required

For the holidays, I decided to gift a popular anytime treat, dairy-free peanut butter truffles, which can also be made as buckeyes. I grabbed my copy of Go Dairy Free Guide & Cookbook for my favorite recipe, and decided to make a double batch. But when I calculated the quantities out, I realized how frustrating the measurements became. Measuring sticky peanut butter just to leave 1/4 cup in the jar? Having to open another pound of powdered sugar just for another 1/2 cup? So I tweaked my own recipe to make this big batch, no measure recipe! It uses full jars and packages to avoid any fussiness.

Dairy-Free Peanut Butter Truffles or Buckeyes with No Measuring Required

I do want to offer a few ingredient notes and tips, to help ensure you love this classic sweet too!

• Peanut Butter: I use a peanut butter that is purely peanuts and salt, so it does have to be stirred to mix the oil in. I don’t typically use a no-stir type peanut butter. If you are using unsalted peanut butter, I would add another pinch or two of salt to the recipe.
• Plant Butter: Country Crock sticks are on the salty side. If you use less salty or unsalted brand, you might want to add another pinch or two of salt.
• Powdered Sugar: Once the dough starts to become firm and pliable, it isn’t sticky at all and I can knead it with my hands, I start to check it for taste. Depending on my ingredients, I might use the full pound, but sometimes, I use about 3 cups, which is just shy of the full pound.
• Salt: I add about 1/8 teaspoon when using salted peanut butter and salted plant butter. If using unsalted versions, you might want to use about 1/2 teaspoon.
• Chocolate: Semisweet chocolate chips will cling well to the peanut butter and make a good coating. If you opt to use dark chocolate chips, the chocolate might be thinner when it melts, creating a much thinner coating. If your coating is too thin, you can place the balls in the freezer for about 15 minutes, and then dip them a second time. If using my melting method, the chocolate in your bowl will still be ready to use.
• Patching: When you remove the toothpick, there will be a whole in the top. If making dairy-free buckeyes, patch the hole with a second clean toothpick, pushing the peanut butter mixture to fill it. If making truffles, I just use the chocolate toothpick to add another tiny dollop of chocolate and smear it around.

Special Diet Notes: Peanut Butter Truffles

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, tree nut-free, optionally soy-free, vegan, and vegetarian.

For peanut-free, dairy-free peanut butter truffles or buckeyes, you can substitute sunflower seed butter for the peanut butter.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Dairy-Free Peanut Butter Truffles or Buckeyes

 

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Prep time

45 mins

Total time

45 mins

 

This recipe is adapted from my book, Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook. Don't worry about making too many of these delicious little treats. They keep very well in the freezer and are wonderful to have on hand. Please note that the Prep time is hands-on time only. Allow about 1 to 2 hours for chilling.

Author: Alisa Fleming

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Serves: 90 truffles or buckeyes

Ingredients

• 1 (16-ounce) jar peanut butter (I use Smucker’s Naturals Creamy Salted)
• 1 stick plant butter (1/2 cup; I use Country Crock)
• Splash vanilla extract (about 1 teaspoon)
• Pinch salt (see notes in the post above)
• 1 pound powdered sugar, as needed (3 ½ cups)
• 1 or 1½ (10-ounce) bags dairy-free semisweet chocolate chips (2 or 3 cups; see directions)
• Small dollop shortening or coconut oil (about 1 teaspoon)

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, beat or stir the peanut butter, butter alternative, vanilla, and salt until combined.
2. Gradually stir in the powdered sugar, working the dough with your hands as it gets stiff. Give it a taste as you go. You can use the whole pound of sugar, but I sometimes use just a little less.
3. Roll the peanut butter mixture into small balls, about 1-inch in diameter, and place them on sheet lined with parchment paper that will fit in your freezer. Freeze the balls for 30 minutes or so.
4. Melt the chocolate chips with the shortening or coconut oil using this method. Use 1 bag if making buckeyes, 1½ bags if making truffles (see notes in the post above).
5. Remove the peanut butter balls from the freezer. Use a toothpick to skewer a ball, dip it in the chocolate (2/3 of the way for buckeyes, a full dunk or coating or truffles). Place the ball back on the parchment. Remove the toothpick and patch the hole (dollop on a little more chocolate if making truffles). Repeat with the remaining peanut butter balls.
6. Place the peanut butter balls back in the freezer or refrigerator, until the chocolate is set.
7. Once set, remove from the parchment and store in an airtight container or zip-top bags in the refrigerator or freezer.

3.5.3229

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